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Philadelphia Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Philadelphia Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 3.8
Number of comments: 749 [displaying comments 391 to 401]
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Steve Strunk from Topsfield, MA, USA
(11/20/2007)
"A Great Run for a First-Time Runner" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon so I have nothing to compare it to. I had no idea what to do and where to go but the organizers made it easy. There was no confusion at all. The first half of the course was full of fantastic views. I loved running under the bridge at the start of the Columbus Avenue stretch. The out-and-back was tough but I'll take that over the long hill past Drexal and the hills in the park. | |
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T. S. from Winter Park, Florida
(11/20/2007)
"Great Fall Marathon" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a PR for me and I loved this race! While the rolling hills made this course a challenging course, the volunteers and spectators made it a great marathon. There was plenty of Gatorade, water and Gu. The race went through the old city where you see the Liberty Bell, as well as beautiful park areas, and along the Schuylkill River. There were a couple of areas that could use improvement. With a race consisting of 15,000 runners, the expo was too small and the official marathon merchandise was extremely limited. Additionally, there was no shuttle service (and it was difficult getting a cab at 5:45 a.m.) from the area's hotels to the starting line. Lastly, I heard that the course changed and was certified 2 days before the race, which made all of the literature describing the course incorrect. This posed a problem for spectators. I know there were organizational complaints in 2006 and it seems like many of the issues were fixed in 2007. All in all, I loved the city and the marathon and would do it again. | |
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R. M. from New York, NY
(11/20/2007)
"Good race; a few tweaks would make it great" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I read a lot of last year's comments, and I think that race organizers did an excellent job of addressing major concerns. There were still organization issues, and some early crowding with the half-marathon and marathon coming together, but overall I think this race was fine. There are a few hills, but they are tough enough to get to you if you're not prepared; I'm not sure this race should call itself "flat and fast." I'm also not a fan of out-and-back courses, but it wasn't a surprise. It was fun to run a big-city race with big amenities but a moderate race crowd, without having to sign up months in advance. I think this race will only continue to improve every year. Pros: Baggage check - Very easy and fast. Changing tent - I've never had this at any race before, and it was great to get into my warmer layers without having to do some incognito layering techniques. Port-a-johns - Of course there were lines, but I thought the supply was about right. Post-race food - More options than at a lot of the larger races I've run, like NYC and Chicago. They definitely listened to the comments about food from 2006. Information tent - Got all my questions answered, especially when I couldn't find the meeting area. Finish line - It was great that volunteers were handing out Gatorade right at the finish, even though the wait to get my medal and into the food tent was next-to-nothing. For once I didn't have to stand in a herd after 26.2 miles and wonder when I can break free and get off my feet. Fans - Still sparse on the out-and-back part of the course, but I didn't expect so many people to brave the weather anyway. I was pleasantly surprised at the crowd support. Medals - Very nice; and glad that they differentiate the half from the full. Cons: Packet pick-up - Waiting in a line for 30 minutes to get your number? Then another 20 for the shirt? The layout was not great, and more volunteers could have sped the process along. Or rent out space at the convention center instead and have a more-accessible and spread-out pick up area at the front. As an out-of-towner, I also had trouble finding parking near the Liacouras Center, so information about parking for the expo would have been appreciated. Late race start - A few minutes is fine; 15 is annoying. Don't wait for everyone to get to the start line - they all know what time the race starts. We had all chucked our warm-up clothes too early in anticipation of a 7:00 start. I would have been back in the port-a-john line if I had known I had so much time. Start line - Minutes-per-mile signs for self-seeding would be helpful, as the only general gauge of where to stand were the pacer signs. Post-race reunion area - I was expecting signs, or something, not a couple of balloons on the ground (which I only noticed because I asked at the information tent). Luckily I found my friend on my own. This race is getting big enough that there should be more signage for something specifically mentioned in the Race Guide. | |
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Max Mueller from Cambridge, Ma
(11/20/2007)
"Faulty Timing System = Failed Marathon" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 The most basic element that a marathon can provide its athletes is a finish time. Athletes who train for months, plan their lives around and run 26.2 miles as hard as they can, deserve an official result, especially for those athletes who need results to qualify for other races. Until Philly recognizes that their new timing system failed at least several hundred if not several thousand athletes, I will never return to this race and will spread the same message to my fellow runners. | |
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K. N. from New York
(11/20/2007)
"Good event with a few flaws." (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon (and I'm glad Philly was my first), but there were a few obvious flaws. The good: The course is fast and beautiful (the hills aren't as bad as some say; use an online map if you're worried). The expo went quickly; I arrived at 2:00 on Saturday afternoon and was out by 2:30. All the lines were quick and I had time to browse a few booths. Race day organization was good. I had no problems dropping off or picking up my clothing bag, water and bathrooms were plentiful on the course, and afterward I got food and a massage quickly and easily. My friends enjoyed being able to see me at a few points around the course. The weather is great. What needs to change: 1) The organizers did very little to direct us. If you're a Philadelphia vet, that's fine, but as a first-timer (and there were lots of us there), I didn't know exactly what to do or where to go once I arrived Sunday morning. When I wasn't given any idea where to line up for my time (4 hours) I picked a spot in the middle. Big mistake, I was still passing walkers after a 1.5 miles and spent the first 5 miles constantly weaving around other runners. 2) It seemed like the city was totally unprepared for 15,000 runners and their families to arrive. My hotel especially (the Inn at Penn) didn't have a clue that it would be a busy weekend or runners would have special requests. There weren't any shuttles, cabs were sparse and parking was terrible. The hotel suggested I take the trolley, which didn't exist. After wandering around with people from other hotels trying to find a ride, I just ran to the start. Was everyone surprised? Didn't the race sell out a month ahead of time? Maybe the organizers need to involve the community more? 3) I'm not sure 7 a.m. on Sunday is the best time for a start, but the race goes downtown, so I don't know how easy this would be to change. | |
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J. S. from washington, dc
(11/19/2007)
"Phantastic!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Extremely well-organized race (seems to have been completely overhauled since the tepid reviews of 2006), and great course. Though it was somewhat hillier than advertised, it was flat enough that I PR'd by 5 minutes and qualified for Boston. Crowds were great in Center City and phenomenal in Manayunk (where, at mile 20, they were much-needed). Start was mildly crowded, but there was plenty of room to run. Only minor negative was the 15-minute wait at the start while officials removed a few stray parked cars from the course. I'd come back to this one in a heartbeat (if my toenails ever grow back...). | |
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C. B. from NY
(11/19/2007)
"Was there a screw-up with the distance?" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I'm spoiled. I did run NYC twice and had no comparison. Before I went to Philadelphia I read the comments here and was alerted. Organization was kinda OK. Confusion with the half side by side. Crowded at the start and volunteers who have no idea what was going on. There is one thing I'm struggling with: I did set my Garmin 305 at the start line (among others) to a full marathon, but found out that the mile marker always came a few minutes after mine. I thought that I set it too early and didn't care. I run a steady pace and my average pace was 9:06, which gives me a sub-4 hour finish time. I finished the race due to my watch in 3:58 and continued to run my race pace. When I looked up at my time, I had 4:05 and 4:02. I don't really understand it and I'm wondering if others experienced something similar.... | |
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Derek Brown from New Hampshire
(11/19/2007)
"Fantastic race" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first time in Philadelphia as well as my first time in the Philadelphia Marathon and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. I stayed in the Hyatt Regency on Penn's Landing, which was only a 10-minute ride to the expo and start line (give or take a few). Places to find a pasta dinner are endless (I suggest AMICI'S). For the race itself, it was fast, flat, and an overall good time. If you're in search of fun marathon, definitely, by all means, choose this one. | |
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R. M. from Sligo, Ireland
(11/19/2007)
"Perfect sized field" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Philadelphia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I liked this marathon a lot. 2007 had about 16,000 runners in total of which 9,000 did the half or 8k and approx 7,000 did the full. I loved the fact that the full marathon was big enough to feel like an 'event' but small enough to avoid the hassles of huge crowds. My chip time was 15 seconds from the gun time, and I wasn't even particularly trying to get near the front at the start. The weather was about 45 degrees - perfect for running in my opinion. A nice scenic course with a good mix of city streets and parkland settings, with a lot of it along the riverfront. There were some hills but nothing worse than in Central Park in NY where I train. There were abundant water and Gatorade stations and overall I thought the organization went very smoothly. Managed a BQer on my first marathon outing, so happy memories of Philly for me. | |
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S. H. from Baltimore, Maryland
(11/19/2007)
"Improved from '06" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Philadelphia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran this race as my first marathon in '06 and wanted revenge this year. There were a lot more people this year and the inner-city streets were tight. The first thirteen goes by quick with all of the sites and spectators. The last thirteen are out and back, and had more spectators this year, but they are definitely not flat. From mile 22-26 there is an uphill grade. It is not steep, but it does not end. The out-and-back tests your mettle and makes you feel the distance. This is a good race for first-timers and other East Coast residents who want a close race in a historic town. Unfortunately, I only ran two minutes better than last year. |
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